Pompey vs. Cardiff

Pompey v Cardiff

This is it guys, the time for talking is just about due to end - actions speak louder than words so lets hope we can do this tomorrow and bring the cup back to the South Coast for the first time in 69 years.

Vital Quotes:

Everyone has 'talked the talk' now lets see them 'walk the walk', it is time for the boys to show just how much they want the FA cup...

I am confident that we will do it, now it is time to show that this is what we have been saving ourselves for recently after some abject performances of late.

Pompey Team News:

Apart for Jermain Defoe who is cup tied and Linvoy Primus, who has had a knee injury all season, we seem to have a clean bill of health.

Dave Nugent was passed fit this week after a groin problem and Sol Campbell will be back after missing the Fulham defeat with a 'hamstring problem'. The biggest bonus of all will be the return of David James after a calf problem, so Jamie Ashdown will drop to the bench.

4-5-1 or 4-4-2 has been the source of much debate this week, but it looks like being a 4-5-1 with Kanu predicable leading the line, should we go for 4-4-2 I have this feeling that Nugent would get in ahead of Milan Baros...

Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes have been putting pressure on others of late and Papa Bouba Diop will be the man most worried about missing out, and if I were picking the side he would with Mendes' creativeness seeing him get the nod over the big man to be honest.

Player to watch: John Utaka

I think it is a near certainty that Utaka will start, so if he does if he is 'interested' I feel that with the space on offer at Wembley, with his pace and power he could have a field day... lets just hope he has 'one of his days', which we have not seen that many of this season!

Cardiff Team News:

Robbie Fowler has not played for 5 months, but he is being given every chance to prove his fitness, which if he does will earn him a place on the bench.

Highly rated talents Joe Ledley and Paul Parry will be key to Cardiff's hopes of taking the cup back to Wales. Parry has recently gotten over a hamstring problem so he will partner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink up front.

Player to watch: Joe Ledley

The Cardiff winger is one of the most highly rated footballers outside of the top flight, so this is almost certain to be his final game for Cardiff... if he is at his very best then he will cause us problems.

Match Facts & Stats

This meeting will be the first ever meeting in the FA cup between Pompey and Cardiff, lets just hope that the record books will be showing us one up come full time tomorrow.

We last won the cup - as we know - way, way back in 1939, holding it for almost 7 years after the outbreak of World War II. Almost 100,000 people watched us beat Wolves 4-1 that day. Cardiff famously became the first and only club from outside England to win the cup, when they managed this in 1927.

Both clubs have had to wait a very, very long time to even make the cup final again but when all is said and done on Saturday either Pompey will end a 69 year wait, or Cardiff an 80 year wait for cup success...

Ref Watch:

Keith Hackett

Match Prediction:

We cannot come this far and blow it now, we must finish the job we started back in January against Ipswich.

Maybe we have not been convincing along the way, but 'when your name is on the cup' that is all that matters - and I have felt this has been the case this season.

We will do it guys; we are going to win the cup tomorrow. A score line? I do not know, all I know is I believe we will do it... PLAY UP POMPEY!

Next Fixtures: Pre-season

No one knows yet, word had it that we were being invited into the Amsterdam Trophy this summer; Swindon and Torquay are also being lined up as pre-season destinations - quite a contrast there.

Either way, lets hope wherever our next fixture is, and whoever it is against we can go into it as FA cup holders...

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Your Comments (oldest first)

Let the name Portsmouth Football Club ring around the world as the winners of the FA Cup 2008. Make us proud to associated with the club & those lof us lucky enough to be there, a fantastic life moment that we will take to the grave. Forever Pompey

after making over £100 for us in the semis i put £25 on us a few weeks ago when we got straight in which a win would pretty much pay for my ticket. last week i started worrying that in fact were gonna struggle. we cant score. they can. we can defend. they cant. its gonna be an open game. i dont see many goals. but i think the cup has a team that begins with "P" on it. i say no more other than if you want to follow my picks go to: http://whitecobra.blogabet.com. thankyou and goodnight! see you there boys! :)

Cheers uroyals. It was a bit of a let down last week in my eyes as well, especially as my girlfriend is a royals supporter! I was telling her all week that we would keep you guys up. Shame. Good luck for next season though, here's to straight back up again.

sorry uroyals, i didnt want you to go down, its a shame that you have - hopefully you will be back asap... i saw somewhere the other day that pompey were being blamed big time by a reading fan for your relegation, granted we didnt help on the final day but over 38 games that isnt out fault is it? you'll be back, and as i say hopefully soon...
we are getting even closer guys, less than 24 hours now until we get underway!

Its all sorted. I've been to the shop and bought my flags and teddybear and bits and pieces for the car. Also bought some "clackers" really noisy they are. I've ironed my teeshirt, petrolled the car, put the tickets on the kitchen table and we're all ready to rock and rolL. Only 23 hours to go - SO COME ON YOU BLUES - LETS DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats the spirit Gandor! I have 50 mins of work left - although to be honest it has been a very unproductive week - one eye on the cup and all that! Then it is home to start the preparations before it all goes crazy!

Tip for you lot, get yourself down to B&Q. Purchase a sheet of MDF and a can of spray paint. At kickoff, turn off the TV. Paint the MDF and watch it dry. You will find it way more exciting than watching two characterless teams tainting the Wembley turf.

Did somebody say something ?
Not long fellas then we can be in full voice putting the Welsh to shame as our choir raises the roof off Wembley... if you listen hard enough you can hear it already .... PLAY UP POMPEY.. POMPEY PLAY UP !

say something? who...? just you and paultsmouth here (and now me!). Catching the train home, i saw some of the first pompey fans heading up to london (already!) - hard to think its the journey will be on tommorow!!!

It is hard to believe isn't it. I'm already getting that surreal feeling that I had at the semi. I remember coming out of Wembley on this strange high, and feeling the cold rain and not really caring about it. We are going to do it you know, we really are.

If we win (if) we will but still .. if (superstitious) we should also have a get together after the open top bus thing on Sunday - as not everyone will be able to meet up tomorrow. (just a thought).
(I do think we'll win but I'm scared to act as though we already have - in the same way I haven't taken the opportunity to have my photo taken with the cup or anything).

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